GST data to be used to peg GDP in new series

The National Statistical Office (NSO) may incorporate Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) data into GDP computation as part of the new national income series, which will be unveiled in the next financial year.

- PRIYANSH VERMA

Revenue collection data from GST—the principal indirect tax—will serve as a key indicator for private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) in the GDP series, scheduled for release in February 2026, official sources said.

The NSO has tested Goods and Services Tax (GST) data to compute GDP numbers for the July-September and October-December quarters of the current fiscal year, the sources added. However, the GDP figures released so far do not yet reflect this data.

Officials state that the inclusion of data sourced from GST Network for computing the private consumption activity, a component in the GDP, will likely lead to more accurate estimation of the latter. "This has been done (testing) to check the robustness of data quality," said a source.